Syrian Army and Hezbollah Capture Halash in Southern Aleppo

Date of publication: 18 11 2015, 06:39

On Tuesday afternoon, the Syrian Arab Army’s 4th Mechanized Division – in coordination with Hezbollah, the National Defense Forces (NDF) of Aleppo City, Kataebat Al-Ba’ath (Al-Ba’ath Battalions), Harakat Al-Nujaba (Iraqi paramilitary), Kataeb Hezbollah (Iraqi paramilitary), and Firqa Fatayyemoun (Iranian/Afghani paramilitary) – have imposed full control over the village of Halash in southern Aleppo after a series of intense firefights with the Islamist rebels of Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, Harakat Nouriddeen Al-Zinki, the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra”, and Liwaa Suqour Al-Sham.

The Syrian Armed Forces and their allies captured the village of Halash after advancing south from the town of Hamrah, resulting in the end of the Islamist rebel counter-offensive to recapture the territory they lost over the last 45 days in southern Aleppo.

According to a field source that is currently embedded with the SAA’s 4th Mechanized Division in southern Aleppo, the Syrian Armed Forces and their allies killed several enemy combatants during their assault on Halash, including the newest commander of Harakat Nouriddeen Al-Zinki, Hassan Mi’kat.

The military source added that the village of Halash is also referred to as “Khalsah”; however, it is referred to by locals in Aleppo as the former.

With the capture of Halash in southern Aleppo, the Syrian Armed Forces and their allies are now in position to attack the imperative village of Zitan from two different flanks – the other flank being the Zitan-Birnah axis to the south of this village.